• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Basketball-crazy Jake Burnett is thrilled to be leaving home to attend the prestigious Centerville Prep.

It’s an opportunity to pursue his hoop dreams at the highest level. But things aren’t quite as advertised at his new school, and Jake soon finds himself struggling both on and off the court. At first, Jake is determined to play harder and ignore the warning signs. Until he discovers that his new head coach is a scam artist, putting kids at risk for his own gain. Now Jake has a difficult choice to make—advance his basketball career or do the right thing.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Jeff Rud's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

Jeff Rud was a print journalist in western Canada for twenty-eight years, twenty as a sports writer. He is currently executive director of strategy and communications in British Columbia’s Office of the Representative for Children and Youth. This is Jeff’s eleventh book and his third novel in the Orca Sports series. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with his wife, Lana, and likes to coach high-school basketball in his spare time.

“[A] fast-paced, high-stakes, high/low book with plenty of appeal for reluctant readers and sports fans alike...Rud’s experience as a sports journalist and a high-school basketball coach lends authenticity to the action-packed court scenes, and in a readable and accessible way, he takes on complex issues like integrity, breach of contract, and speaking out against corruption.”

Booklist

"Rud inserts vivid descriptions of basketball plays...older, reluctant readers, particularly sports-loving students, will pick up this book for a quick but satisfying read...recommended."

School Library Connection (SLC)

"Brilliant...Once again, Orca Sports and Jeff Rud have scored big."

Resource Links

"An excellent novel that depicts teens in crisis...A fast-paced story with a touch of a moral...Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials